That Lingering Smell
by violetkisses
Summary: His pain, his sadness, his tears. He had no one else to blame for them but himself. This was the price of his betrayal, the price of his infidelity. If only he resisted, if only he didn't give in...Now all that remained was that lingering smell. (Not sure about the rating)


A/N: Hey guys! Back with another story. I know, I know. I have to update my other stories but I just can't resist. This story has been bugging me for weeks now. I'm not really confident about it. I think it's too fast-paced and not really that smooth. But I hope you guys still enjoy it.

This story is dedicated to LUANRINA and BEN4KEVIN who is sick and tired of Zero always ending up as the victim. I think it's time for a change.

Warnings: Possible OOC characters, UNBETAED so sorry for grammatical errors

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**That Lingering Smell**

**Chapter 1**

Zero snuggled into the pillow beneath him. He closed his eyes. It smelled like….it smelled just like Kaname. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the lovely scent of bergamot, bitter orange, coffee flower and amaryis wood.

_Kaname's perfume._

It smelled so good, so sexy, so addicting, so intoxicating. He could live by smelling this scent alone. This wonderful, wonderful, wonderful smell. The hunter pressed his nose closer to the pillow.

_God, I miss him so much._

The thought brought tears to Zero's eyes. Things hadn't been going really well between them these past few months. In fact, they were barely talking at all. Every time he tried to talk to Kaname, all he would receive was a short, curt reply or simply nothing at all.

Zero sniffed. He should be content, happy even. At least…at least Kaname didn't leave him. Even after what he's done, Kaname still accepted him, still slept beside him, still acted as if they were 'in love'. He should be happy. He should be thankful. He should be content.

But why? Why couldn't he stop the painful contractions his heart went through whenever he remembered the old days, the hap'py days they had together? Gone were the cuddling sessions, the sweet notings, the picnics under the sun, the trips to the zoo, the warm feeling whenever they were together.

All that remained was that lingering smell, the smell that always drove Zero insane.

He knew it was his fault. It was his fault that all of this happened. If only…God, if only he hadn't drank too much, if only he hadn't given in to temptation, if only he resisted. Then all of this would never have happened.

He blamed himself. He had no one else to blame for his infidelity. It was all his fault. His fault. _His fault._ And now….now, he was paying the price for his mistake.

_6 months ago…._

"Happy New Year!" Everybody cheered as the clock struck 12.

Everyone was in good spirits. Laughter could be heard everywhere. Jokes were thrown here and there. Couples were dancing with the music. Everyone was just plain happy.

Zero let out a small smile as he watched the scene before him. Aidou was fooling around again and this time his victim was the innocent, unsuspecting blonde, Takuma. If you would've asked Zero what he thought of these people two years ago, he would've sneered and spat the word 'vampires'. But now…well, things have changed especially his relationship with Kaname.

They were together. Yes, big surprise. It even shocked the both of them. Never in their wildest dreams would they have thought they would fall for one another. They were just too different, complete opposites.

He didn't know when it started. He didn't know when he started to fall for Kaname. He didn't know if it was like a thunder that just struck him when he was completely off guard or if it was like a plant, slow but steadily growing each passing day. Either way, it totally blew them away.

An ex-human hunter and a pureblood….it was just so wrong in many ways. But despite all the problems that went their way, despite all the doubts they had, they worked it out. And now, here they were, celebrating their 2nd new year together with their friends and still going steady.

Zero hummed as he felt a warm pair of arms surround him. His smile grew, "Kaname."

The man behind him chuckled, "Ever the psychic."

The hunter rolled his eyes, turning to face his loving boyfriend. He pinched Kaname's nose playfully, his own wrinkling in amusement. "You are such an ass."

A rich, baritone laugh filled his senses as he felt himself being lifted from the ground. Zero squeaked, laughing, "Oh my god, Kaname! Put me down."

"Never," the pureblood said, grinning, something Kaname did often now. "This is your punishment for pinching my nose."

"Awww," Zero pouted. "But I always pinch your nose."

"But not in front of our _friends_."

Zero's eyes widened. _Oh_, he mouthed. "Sorry?"

Kaname chuckled, putting the hunter down. Zero blushed fervently when he felt Kaname cup his face, the pureblood's nose grazing his in an affectionate way. His heart did a somersault as he stared at those warm and loving brown eyes. He swallowed thickly, mouth going dry as his pureblood leaned in for a soft, sweet peck on the lips. "Apology accepted."

And with that, Kaname left Zero blushing and stuttering as Aidou hysterically laughed at his expense.

_That idiot._

One hour later, Zero was still blushing like a virgin. God, Kaname was totally going to pay for his stunt earlier. It was absolutely embarrassing. Like seriously, embarrassing. The hunter gulped the drink in his hand in one go.

But, embarrassing as it was, Zero had to admit that it was sweet. _Really sweet._

Zero refilled the glass in his hand and drank again. He absolutely loved what he was drinking. It was his cup of tea. It was sweet and it didn't have the strong, bitter after taste that he hated with a passion. Just as he was about to stand up to get another bottle of the drink, his vision swam and he lost his balance.

Zero closed his eyes, preparing himself for the impact, only to sigh in relief when it didn't come.

"You shouldn't drink any more, Zero-kun," A smooth, bone-melting voice said. Zero opened an eye to take a peek at his savior.

"Shiki."

The said man grinned as he helped Zero stand up. "The one and only."

"But I," Zero started, confused. "I…we thought you weren't coming."

The redhead nodded, "I wasn't but my prior engagement ended earlier than expected so I decided to drop by and enjoy the party."

"Oh," was all Zero could say.

Shiki smiled and Zero had to scold his heart for doing a flip when he saw it.

_Stop_, he told himself. _You're with Kaname now so stop thinking about him._

Way before Zero fell in love with Kaname, he had this passing fancy for Shiki Senri. It was nothing big; Just a small, simple crush. But it was something Zero never forgot, something that he always remembered whenever he visited his favorite horse, Lily.

It all started when he visited Lily to the stables. He went there seeking the solace and peace Lily's company often gave him so imagine his surprise when he found a redhead vampire sitting on his 'spot'. He was about to turn around and just find another place to rest when the vampire called out to him. "Kiryuu."

Zero turned, crossing his arms and clucking his tongue to show that he was annoyed. "What?"

"You're leaving?" The man asked in his smooth, soft voice that never failed to irk Zero.

"_Obviously._"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be stuck in the same room as a vampire. That's why."

Shiki stood up and Zero was immediately on guard. Maybe he pissed the vampire off?

"You should stay." Shiki brushed his pants as he slowly walked out of the stables, the immense sadness in his voice surprising Zero. "I'll just find another place to stay."

Zero frowned. Okay, so now he was feeling guilty. He mentally groaned. Why did the fucking vampire have to fucking sound so fucking sad? The next thing Zero knew, he blurted out something he would never have thought himself capable of, "You can stay. I don't mind."

"Really?" Zero didn't miss the happy smile on the redhead's face.

"Yes, really. So get back in here….uhhh, err, Shiki." Zero blushed as he felt the vampire's warm body sit next to him. _Too close._

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence and Zero wasn't really keen on breaking it. He rather liked the silence. Only being able to hear the soft crickets of the grasshoppers, the soft whish whoosh of the wind and Lily's soft neighs was rather comforting. Zero relaxed.

"Senri."

_Huh?_ Zero looked at the vampire in confusion. "What?"

"You can call me Senri," the aristocrat elaborated, making Zero look at him as if he had grown another head.

There was silence.

Zero blinked, shaking his head. "And here I thought vampires had at least a little bit of sanity left in them."

Senri frowned, the act surprisingly sending an ache to Zero's chest. _What the fuck?_ The redhead made a move to stand up, the sadness still pouring out of him like an outlet pipe left open. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have….I should just go."

"Fine," Zero blurted, surprising himself and Shiki. "I'll call you Senri and you can call me Zero. Now stop laying the guilt trip on me, will you?"

"Just like friends?"

Zero rolled his eyes. You would think he was talking to a child. "Yes, like friends, Senri. Happy now?"

Shiki Senri smiled, his warm smile making Zero's pure, innocent, never-been-in-love heart do a backflip. "Never been happier, _Zero-kun_."

The night went smoothly for them. Zero found that he really had a lot in common with Senri. They both loved to cook, they both loved strawberries and they both loved to look at the night sky. As the night came to an end, Zero realized one fucked up thing: He had a crush on Shiki Senri, a fucking vampire.

"Zero-kun? Are you there?" Zero snapped out of his back-to-the-past trip.

"Y-yeah. Why?"

Senri shook his head, smiling. "For a while there, I thought you were about to go to dreamland. You were spacing out."

Zero clucked his tongue, noticing that the vampire still had his hands on his arms in a semi-embrace. He pushed the man away, trying his best to supress the blush threatening to consume his face. "Whatever. Now go and bother someone else, Shiki." Zero made his way to the door, wanting nothing but to run to Kaname's arms and forget the man before him.

"Wait," Zero was stopped on his tracks by a hand on his arm. "Why won't you call me Senri anymore?" The aristocrat asked, his brows creased, pain lacing his voice.

The hunter was taken aback but did his best to remain emotionless. He really had to go away. He was really drunk and he might say something he might regret. He tried to pull his hand away but Senri was strong. Really strong. "Let me go," Zero hissed.

"No," the redhead shook his head. "Not until you tell me why."

Zero growled, "Just leave it, okay?" He again tried to pull away but the vampire just strengthened his hold on him. Zero breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself and his heart. "This is my last warning, vampire. _Let. Me. Go._"

Just as Zero thought the redhead was going to let him go, he was surprised to feel a pair of arms surround him. He struggled. This was not good. Seriously not good. "I love you."

_What?_ Zero looked up to the man before him, shock written all over his face. "Stop it."

"No, I won't." The redhead insisted, "I love you, Zero. Ever since that night at the stables, I have loved you. Believe me." Shiki placed his head on the crook of Zero's neck, pulling Zero closer to him. "Believe me, please. I know I'm too late but all I'm asking for is just one kiss. After that, I'll move on. I'll leave you and Kaname alone."

"St-stop it, Senri. Not funny."

"I'm not joking! Why won't you believe me?" The vampire cupped Zero's face. Zero gulped as he stared straight into Senri's warm, icy-blue orbs. He slowly felt himself surrender. Those eyes, those beautiful eyes….so beautiful. It reminded him of _that_ night.

All Zero wanted was to lean in and kiss Senri, feel those warm lips he always dreamed about on him.

_Kaname_. Zero shook his head. That's right. He already had Kaname. He couldn't...he wouldn't betray Kaname. He loved the man, and he wouldn't ruin that for just one damned kiss. Even if it was a kiss he always dreamed about, a kiss that haunted him, a kiss that he never dreamed was possible. He pushed Senri away, his intoxicated but determined orbs shining, "No. I won't k-"

The next thing Zero knew, he was already being kissed by the first man he ever liked. The kiss wasn't like how he imagined it to be. He always imagined his kiss with Senri to be soft, slow and gentle. This was just….it was beyond his wildest dreams. Passionate, strong, needy and demanding, it was the complete opposite of the kiss in his imaginations, the kiss he always thought about back when they were still in Cross Academy.

He knew he had to break the kiss. It was wrong. _This_ was wrong. But…but he just couldn't. He breathed in deeply, loving the wonderful scent that filled his senses. If there was one thing he had to love about a man, it was his scent, his fragrance. Shiki Senri smelled just like he had 6 years ago. Sweet, soft, citrusy…completely different from Kaname's strong and masculine smell.

Zero felt himself surrender to the kiss. He took another deep breath, moaning at the smell that invaded his senses. _So good_. He tangled his fingers to the red locks of his first love, savouring the softness and smoothness. He pulled Senri closer to him, his body seeking more of the man's warmth.

Zero shivered as he heard the vampires moan. He felt himself harden. This was just too good and as Zero continued to kiss Senri, he ignored the small voice at the back of his head that told him this was wrong, that this was betrayal, that this was going to destroy his relationship with Kaname if the pureblood ever found out.

Zero pushed the thoughts away. He would just think about it when this was all o-

A chill went through Zero as a familiar growl filled the balcony. Senri broke the kiss and Zero could see the fear that marred the vampire's features.

"Get away from Zero." A cold voice commanded. The redhead stepped away without a word.

Zero looked at the pureblood, " K-k-kaname. Let me explain. Let me-" The hunter was cut off as he felt himself being pulled. Away from Senri, away from the party and to his downfall.

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The kiss was brutal. So was the sex. Kaname didn't even prepare him. The pureblood just entered Zero without anything as close to a warning. Zero screamed. Pain. All he could feel was pain. But he supposed this was what he deserved. This was his punishment, for his betrayal, for his infidelity.

"You dare betray me?" The man above him growled, still thrusting into Zero as if he intended to break the man into two. It hurt Zero to look at Kaname. The pureblood looked like he was in pain...like he was hurting.

_And it was all Zero's fault._

"After everything I've done? After sacrificing everything for you? After offering my heart to you? _This," _The pureblood thrusted deeper, "is what you do?" Zero heard Kaname's voice crack and he heard, by the gods he also heard Kaname's heart breaking too.

"I loved you, Zero. I loved you. So why," the pureblood sobbed, "…why would you want to hurt me like this?"

Zero felt Kaname's hot, warm, and pained tears on him. His cries of 'why, why, why' stabbing Zero in the heart like it was intended to kill. His heart ached…his heart broke. This was the first time he ever saw Kaname cry. And he hoped. God, he hoped that it would be the last. Zero Kiryuu closed his eyes, silent tears falling as he felt Kaname shake from intensity of his tears. He wanted to say something. He wanted to explain, to say that he was sorry. But nothing, no words would come out.

He had broken Kaname's trust. He had wasted Kaname's love. All for a single kiss. _All for a single kiss._

And he had no one else to blame. No one else but himself.

If only….

_If only…._

Now, all that remained was the salty smell of Kaname's tears and the bitter taste of Senri's kiss.

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A/N: Errr. So...it was too fast-paced, wasn't it? Sniff. But did you guys enjoy it? I sure hope you did. I'm so excited to write the next chapter of this story. Please leave reviews if you have time. I would really appreciate it. Constructive criticisms are welcomed too! I need tips on how to improve my writing. Thank you.

-** violetkisses**


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